Padua

Padua, Italy

The domes of the Basilica of Saint Anthony glow amber at sunset above the bronze Gattamelata statue in Piazza del Santo, Padua.

Padua packs Giotto's frescoes, a centuries-old university and a vast oval square into a compact, walkable city close to Venice.

The place

Padua sits on the Veneto plain in northern Italy, on the banks of the Bacchiglione, with Venice to the east and Vicenza to the west. About 206,000 people live in the commune, and a visible share of them are students, which gives the centre a bicycle-heavy, café-loving energy that Venice, half an hour away by train, rarely matches. The old core is a knot of arcaded streets, brick towers and church domes, with canals tracing the line of former defences. Two daily markets fill the squares on either side of the medieval town hall, one for vegetables and one for fruit, and the arcades nearby crowd with locals at aperitivo hour. Padua is a working city as much as a historic one, a hub for trains, trade and the surrounding province, so shutters come down at lunchtime and most faces on the pavement belong to residents rather than tourists. The terrain is flat, only about 12 metres above sea level, which makes walking and cycling easy, and one loop on foot links most of the main sights. To the south-west the Euganean Hills rise abruptly out of the farmland, a favourite for weekend walks and thermal baths. Summers are hot and humid, winters damp and often foggy, so the gentler seasons suit the city best.

Its story

Padua explains its own beginnings through a legend. Roman writers, among them Virgil and Livy, record that the city was founded by Antenor, a Trojan prince who escaped the fall of Troy and led refugees and allies, known as the Eneti, to the plain of the Veneto. The founding date recorded for the city is 1183 BCE. In 1274 workers unearthed a large stone coffin, and the medieval city council promptly declared that it held Antenor himself; a Latin verse by the local poet Lovato Lovati was placed beside it. Modern testing dates the coffin to the 4th or 3rd century BC, while excavations point to settlement in the centre between the 11th and 10th centuries BC, so the real story is ancient even if the hero is doubtful. Later chapters are better documented. The university began in 1222 and drew scholars for generations. Between 1303 and 1305 Giotto painted the walls of the Scrovegni Chapel. Padua then came under the Republic of Venice, which supervised the university through a small board of patricians, and afterwards belonged to the Habsburg monarchy and the Austrian Empire before joining the Kingdom of Italy. Each era left something visible: a Venetian-period anatomy theatre, Giotto's blue vault, and courtyards in the old university building crowded with the painted coats of arms of past students.

What to see

Culture

Padua's character comes from its university, founded in 1222. Under Venetian rule it was overseen by three patricians, and its roll of professors and students includes Copernicus, Vesalius and Galileo. In 1678 Elena Lucrezia Cornaro Piscopia graduated here, the first woman anywhere to take a university degree. The botanical garden, begun in 1545 as a physic garden for the medical faculty, still grows plants beside the old teaching rooms. Student life remains part of the street scene. Graduation is a public event: newly qualified graduates wear a laurel wreath and are cheered, teased and sprayed with drinks by friends in the squares, sometimes to the sound of comic songs. Alongside this runs deep devotion to Saint Anthony, known locally simply as the Saint, whose basilica draws pilgrims at every time of year and keeps a watchful hush around his tomb. Daily rhythm matters too: mornings at the markets, a long lunch, then the evening aperitivo, when the arcades fill with conversation and spritz glasses. Venetian dialect is still heard among older residents, although Italian is the language of shops and tourism. Visitors who greet staff politely and linger over a coffee are met warmly. Cover your shoulders and knees, keep your voice low and do not photograph people praying at Saint Anthony's tomb.

What to wear

Padua has no single regional costume of the kind seen in mountain valleys, but the wider Veneto left a few garments of note. The best known is the tabarro, a heavy wool cloak worn by men in Venetian times, which now turns up at carnival and costume events rather than on the street. Fine lace, famous from the Venetian lagoon islands, is also part of the region's textile story. The most Paduan tradition is the laurel wreath worn by graduates on their big day. Everyday dress today is smart casual and fairly dark in colour: jackets and scarves in cooler months, linen and loafers in summer, and a great many people cycling in ordinary clothes. Students dress more loosely, and evening aperitivo calls for a step up from trainers. A visitor should pack for the season. Summer is hot and humid, so light cotton or linen, a hat and sunscreen help. Winter needs a proper coat and an umbrella for damp, foggy days. Shoes matter more than anything: the old centre is paved with stone, and a day of sightseeing means comfortable, flat soles. Churches, particularly the Basilica of Saint Anthony, expect covered shoulders and knees, so a light scarf or shawl in the bag is useful.

What to eat

Plan it

Best time. March and November are the most comfortable months, with mild days and good walking weather. July and August are hot and humid, while winter is damp and often foggy.

How long. 2

Getting there. Venice Marco Polo airport (VCE) is about 50 km away, with a direct bus to Padua taking about an hour, or a bus to Venezia Mestre station and a train on. Treviso (TSF), about 42 km away, serves low-cost carriers. Padua's central station is on the main Veneto rail network: Venice is about 30 minutes by train, Bologna about an hour and a half and Milan about two and a half hours. The old centre is a short walk or tram ride from the station.

Budget. mid

Tips

Etiquette

Nearby

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